


Intervention

by anesor



Series: Star Wars Snippets [16]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Angst, Gen, Grief, Rako Hardeen AU, be very scared, fixit, good thing Force ghosts really cannot pull out their hair, leaves the ST era behind after chapter 1, letting go, multiple Obi-Wans aren't as much a danger, multiple instances of Anakin, rako hardeen arc, stubbornness + frustration, these guys finally talk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2020-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21716050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anesor/pseuds/anesor
Summary: Anakin is trying to pull his hair out in frustration over his grandson.  What good is more powerful as a Force ghost if he can't fix anything? What washistipover point?
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker & Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Ahsoka Tano, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Qui-Gon Jinn & Obi-Wan Kenobi & Anakin Skywalker & Yoda
Series: Star Wars Snippets [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/930086
Comments: 28
Kudos: 164
Collections: Shadows of the Saber (NaNo 2019 Star Wars short fiction collection)





	1. Altar in the Darkness

Darkness swirled in the sparse chamber, a mix of worn utilitarian and newer tools doing nothing to warm any observers. Bare and cold in darkness, piercing as icicle caverns when flurries drifted, all were warmer than the metal walled space. No fabric, no color, no tricks of lighting softened the dim space.

Anakin shivered, gazing at the altar that was the only clear-lit spot in the room.

_-I should not have to remind you that you cannot get cold now. You can only observe whenever and wherever you go.-_

_-I know that! I just hate that so many, too many, of these futures in motion are so kriffing bad! One of the nicer ones still had so many of my family learning nothing from my screwups. A slightly better one had fewer mistakes but just withered in a desert. Then there are these awful ones. I’d wanted...-_

_-Hate?-_ Obi-Wan smiled lightly, his appearance sage and gray-haired. _-You know better.-_

Anakin stuck out his tongue before running fingers through his curls. _-Detest really strongly? Fear?-_

_-Regret?-_

_-Yes…_ _No. A part of me hated it and hated myself even as I did those kriffing stupid things.-_ He waved at the altar with the melted helmet. _-_ _Sorrow and regret took years and rarely surfaced_ _through the rage_ _as long as Sidious lived. I don’t get how this foolish boy could believe this deeply that he’s empowered by the Dark?_ _I had more freedom at nine._ _-_

_-One does feel a power rush at first.-_

_-_ _Master, you might have tasted it, been immersed in it, to almost drowning_ _over and over_ _but you rejected it o_ _ver and over_ _. Did my… addiction to that rush, that freedom from doubt doom all my children, even unto the third generation?-_ The former Sith punched his own hand with frustration.

_-We are limited in how we can act directly even if we are unbound...-_

Anakin’s smile is crooked. _-Gotta love the irony. Only those with the Force and some attachment can interact properly.-_ His smile disappeared, _-I don’t think Leia’s ever seen me like this, even if Luke t_ _old_ _her._ _Padmé_ _would have been so proud of her…_ _I wish I could tell her that._ _-_

_-_ _Do you want me to attempt speaking to her again? I believe she thinks well of me because of Luke and Bail’s words. I’m not quite real to her.-_

That made Anakin turn away. _-She’s bright enough in the Force to see me... if she wanted. But she hates me and refuses. I wish...-_

Obi-Wan embraced him with one arm, pulling the taller man closer. _-I am sorry, Anakin. She was taught to hate, just as you were.-_

Looking up, eyes wet with immaterial tears, Anakin hiccuped. _-_ _I did that myself! Taught the galaxy to hate me. If Luke hadn’t…_ _Just as well she wasn’t tr_ _ained_ _then. Bail and Owen did good. Better than me.-_

_-_ _We cannot remove the challenges that will face our lineage, Anakin. Some will rise and some will fall. They must still choose, even if our hearts break from their choices.-_ A pang of infinite sorrow dissipated from Kenobi’s spirit.

_-_ _Oh, Force. I’m sorry I was such an idiot. That I set so much of this in motion...-_ Anakin wrapped around the other spirit and pulled them to Ach-To to where Luke was clearly deeply depressed and apathetic. _-I didn’t even leave him_ _ **enough**_ _to rebuild with. Why am I here? I can’t even do_ _ **anything**_ _like this. No one hears me, no one outside my broken son. Why do I hold myself together still? If I… if I didn’t have you. I dunno. I get so frustrated that I can’t do anything! I’m… I’m half afraid I will dissolve into nothing, that I won’t be able to fix anything, even a little bit. The other half is that I will somehow manage to Fall, even here.-_

Anakin shook a little, the cool weight of Obi-Wan’s presence solid against him as the Master started petting his hair. They pulled apart later, to watch the too soon old Luke pace over a path along the seaside, grotto, ruins, and even Lifetree.

Looking at his brother in his eye, Anakin mourned. _-He hasn’t even taken care of his X-wing. He’ll never get it to fly again after that long in saltwater. He loved flying as much as I did. That was his first blow against the Dark and there it rots. There has to be something I can do, why else did I get this karking immortality, anyway?-_

Obi-Wan looked troubled. _-The Force is in motion but we seem not in its current this time. Qui-Gon faded before I left Tatooine for Alderaan that last time._ _He was a Force ghost for about twenty-five years before he joined the Force, most of which he could not communicate with anyone. Mortis was the first time I knew of, but Yoda sought the Whils during the war at his word...-_

Anakin smiled sardonically. _-Where is the old troll, anyway? I’d think he’d be_ _not_ _here, not being attached to my family.-_

That made his Master look ill. _-He’s… I don’t know what ails Yoda. I don’t know what could even ail a Force ghost. Master Qui-_ _Gon mentioned Force-priestesses he learned from, but he seemed to believe they were living people when teaching him. Now, I wonder more if they exemplified the Force more than lived, like those on Mortis. That drama presaged too much of later events...-_

_-What dra-_ Anakin started but his face stiffened at refreshed memories before becoming mobile again. _-They knew I was going to become Vader but did nothing to reduce or soften the effect on the galaxy? They wanted me to babysit the karking Son because_ _ **he**_ _was a bastard to_ _ **his family?**_ _Removing me was just lazy and wouldn’t have changed Sidious’ plans at all. The Galaxy was pretty much in balance. Hidden Sith and sleemos were enough to balance the Jedi. Once Order 66 was called, balance was out the porthole. It’s still unbalanced with that Sidious wannabe Snoke and_ _a_ _crushed Jedi school.-_

_-They repeated our mistakes, with even less coherence the second time. Like some degraded copy.-_

_-You think something’s wrong with Yoda, Master?-_ Anakin watched Luke leave the grotto and move toward the stone hut.

Obi-Wan rubbed his chin in a familiar stall. _-Have you noticed that we could communicate both sooner after our passing and more frequently? I certainly was never as powerful in the Force as you or Yoda, but I advised Luke during his attack on the Death Star hours after my passing. Master Qui-Gon took years to gather energy enough to make contact but Master Yoda rarely interacted more than when we welcomed you_ _on Endor_ _. What differs among the four of us?-_

Rolling his eyes at the lesson this late, Anakin counted off his list. _-Three of four are human. All male. All are or were Jedi. Three of four died from violence.-_

_-Two died at peace with someone with them for their last words of wisdom… No, make that three. Qui-Gon insisted I train you.-_

_-_ _I told Luke he was right.-_ Anakin’s eyes looked wet. _-I couldn’t get why you were so calm, almost amused even if you could barely fight anymore. Then you disappeared… and I didn’t want to admit the hole you left.-_

_-We’ll leave mine out of that for peaceful or not, then. But it doesn’t really alter my supposition. My dear former Padawan, we are still attached. We’re attached to each other, even when it was anger instead of affection, it does not remove the attachment.-_

Anakin looked thoughtful. _-_ _Maybe telling me that killing you was not a real threat, was wisdom. I just didn’t listen._ _Qui-Gon was attached to you and Yoda. You are attached to all of us, you bad Jedi, you. Yoda was attached to Luke? No, that doesn’t feel right.-_

_-Yoda might term Luke his last Padawan, one with very incomplete training by Temple standards. Knighted Padawans were always a small matter of pride.-_ Obi-Wan paused. _-I doubt any other beings would command that much attachment. They argued frequently. Luke had more spirit and hope than we, but he_ _ **was**_ _right.-_

_**-** **We** argued a lot, I was mad a lot about the dogma in the Order.-_

_-You argued against the Code, but I suspect you really meant the rules that_ _grew up like barnacles around_ _the Code. I doubt Yoda was that close to Dooku, he never showed as more than sad about his Fall, something that nearly killed me. Qui-Gon had friends who_ _still worried about how_ _Xanatos’ Fall affecte_ _d_ _Qui-Gon. I cannot remember Y_ _oda’_ _s Padawan before Dooku… In the end, he has no living attachments beyond Luke. I doubt he is attached to anything anymore. How can he serve the Force if he loses himself without any polestars to keep him tethered to_ _the living aspect_ _?-_

Anakin looked glumly at the darkened hut, upset Luke didn’t even have artificial light for nighttime. _-Luke even left his sister. How did he learn such self-destructive guilt?-_

_-I doubt I could have affected_ _that in_ _the handful of days he was my student. Those days I spoke of our friendship and your piloting skill, not my failures._ _I wanted to encourage him as learning even later was harder_ _._ _There just wasn’t time to teach him much.-_

_-_ _Something is_ _coming, survival-_ _pain…_ _not hope. W_ _inning,_ _not-_ _not victory_ _-_ Anakin looked away. _-Not sacrifice. That is the hard_ _lesson, Master._ _Survival needs to include hope, not despair._ _Freedom can be as easily taken away if_ _they forget the Dark._ _The same with skill and power. It has to be earned to be real. I may have been called the Chosen One, but you earned your strength and_ the power _to stop me_ _, and never really lost what you earned. I threw my_ _own freedom away_ _long before I died.-_

Obi-Wan tucked his hands in his sleeves and looked very old and wise. _-They still have time to learn.-_

Anakin’s face fell. - _Can’t you see it? Path after path? Sidious returns. My grandson corrupting that girl with_ _his Darkness._ _Fripping her! He doesn’t even give a kriff about his Commander. He’s not a Skywalker, he’s not even a Solo. He’s rejected his name_ _s,_ _even more than Dooku’s insanity. Luke dies pointlessly. Sacrifice made_ _less than meaningless by_ _some enlisted rebel_ _…_

_-You were right, or at least mostly right_ _about passion, Obi-Wan._ _Love destroyed all those people of Leia’s on the flat when_ _Kylo attacked._ _Love is destroying Leia, and I can’t do a karking thing.-_ Leaning against the Life tree, hiding his eyes against his arm, Anakin shook with silent sobs.

Obi-Wan put arms around Anakin’s shoulders. _-I do not know. I don’t feel it is yet time to fade into the Force yet, but none hear us anymore.-_

Anakin wills them back to Tattooine to see his Mom tucking him into bed. _-She never hears me...-_

_-We are shadows, not even holos this far back.-_

A flicker and they witness Padmé smiling at the strange little boy, another shift and Anakin and Artoo destroy the droid control unit in Nabooan orbit. _-Seemed like anything could happen then...-_ Next, they see the mini-him in approximations of Jedi robes, remembering how proud he was to look like Obi-Wan, like a real Jedi.

_When did it go wrong?_ Anakin flitted from scene to scene, cherishing his happiest moments, grieving when he kriffed up. When he swore an oath to that poodoo, it was clearly too late. His wedding wasn’t. He could move from battle with Obi-Wan and Ahsoka, to sweet evenings with Padmé.

Visits with Palpatine got too painful for both of the Force Ghosts to watch. Regret for past blindness and absorption should have been palpable. Horror joined them on Mortis, though the Father looked directly at them briefly. They watched Padmé's happy announcement in the colonnade with grief pouring from Anakin.

Anakin watched and rewatched the birth of his children and the passing of his wife, still believing in him despite what he’d done.

Obi-Wan gripped his shaking brother, as his younger self floundered in shock and grief. _-It was before here, Anakin. Come away, now. They are at peace.-_

_**-No! No, they are not.** Not screaming your head off with pain in some hut is not peace. Being dead is not really peace, just means you cannot do anything light or dark.-_

_-They are making their peace with dying, with the fallen Republic and Order, and with being born. Acceptance of what is does not mean it was desired in any way. It means we can move on and be effective instead of tied to old pains...-_

Anakin glared. _**-Still**_ _lecturing me after this many decades? It’s not like you moved on so well when Jinn died!-_

_-Nor did I move on well when my best friend Fell and forced a fight he could not win. Just because I had trouble, doesn’t mean it’s not an important lesson...-_

Anakin waved a hand and they watched Rako Hardeen beat up Anakin. _-_ _You **were dead**_ _ **,** _ _and I **could not**_ _ **even pull**_ _it together enough to beat him. I almost wanted him to kill me too, I could not_ _imagine going on without you. You kept going on and on about my great future and I would do so much after you passed like_ _I should not_ _care._ _-_ Anakin paused to wipe his eyes. _-I wanted to do anything to make it stop hurting, no matter what it cost me.-_

Obi-Wan was regret and apology. _-I didn’t want to hurt you like that. You’d been angry at me so often, I was afraid you’d be happier. I suppose I was grieving that even as the mission was proposed._ _I am infinitely sorry.-_

They skimmed over Obi-Wan’s briefings and the brutality of his time undercover, stopping at their brittle meetings afterward where Anakin only worked with but rarely spoke to his former Master for months.

The Master remained sad. _-This may be the worst point. I have no doubt there were moments while you were a teen, the tragedies on your homeworld, Ahsoka leaving, your Angel’s murder, but_ _ **here**_ _you came to believe_ _you didn’t h_ _ave_ _anyone to turn to when Sidious_ _later closed his trap.-_

_-I think it’s equal to my family by the end, I’d given up on anything like family with Jedi.-_

_-_ _That was one of the Order’s greatest weaknesses, lineages are a pale imitation if the Council made and broke lines at will.-_ Even Obi-Wan seemed glum.

_-We worked out, eventually, didn’t we?- Anakin smiled and bumped shoulders.-_

Obi-Wan’s smile finally appeared. _-But they did not make or approve of our bond. Scolded for being too angry as Initiate and Padawan, I would never have been the Master of a proper Padawan without proving myself...-_

Shaking his head, Anakin’s disbelief was clear. _-I’ve seen it now, but it’s still hard to believe you weren’t proper enough.-_

_-Negotiation often includes acting and pretenses. I suppose being proper became a well-worn pretense.-_

_-It broke down in war, badly.-_ Anakin pulled them back to see Rako putting down other bounty hunters in the Box. _-You always were more attached to accomplishing your missions than your own good.-_

_-That mission does seem extra-pointless now.-_

Anakin looked at such a young Ahsoka, trying to slow him down in his Dark rage and grief. _-I… I want to do something, make a difference for them...-_

_-I’m afraid I do not know. If our attachment to each other and those still living lends us balance, what happens when all we knew are gone_ _?_ _Is fading away, only helpless, all we have left for us?-_

Anakin looked stubborn. _-I refuse to believe there’s nothing I can do! What good is being the Chosen One when_ _ **all**_ _this strength in the Force_ _can’t_ _ **do**_ _anything!-_

_-Then what? I’m afraid Qui-Gon had little to say about after **we** joined the Force. I passed on what I knew, to you in a rush and Luke to try to cheer him up.-_

_-Knowledge and power cover most things in the Force. Even the poodoo I tried to learn to take Sidious down depended on that. I don’t think the more esoteric Light side magic depended as much on perfect execution...-_

_-No, it depends on faith in the Force, humility, not arrogance. So the Force helps us, help it,-_

_-_ _So doesn’t that mean there’s n_ _o_ _thing more we can do, even like this?-_

_-As long as we hold ourselves intact and seek to serve the Light and Balance?-_

Anakin’s stubborn pulling on his hair resumed. _-We can’t advise or teach. This_ _doesn't_ _seem the boundless power you claimed on the Death Star. All this power- part of the Force itself, and we can’t_ _ **do**_ _anything. I want to change it, make it so my children don’t watch as everything keeps getting worse. I hated the Council, but...-_

_-We did the best we could, combating the thousand little Darknesses until the Sith...-_

_-It was better, Good people like Padmé were safe enough to work with others to make a difference. She didn’t have to fight every day, every week to survive as Snokes repeated Sidious’ insanity. She didn’t have to fight and hide kids to let them be free. They got by, but they were never even as safe as I was as a Padawan. And it got worse for Leia, and Luke never even got to have a family. No time, no time because I kriffed it all up. I have to fix this, why can’t I fix **one** thing?-_

Anakin set his jaw, drawing an instance of his lightsaber, the blue one won and lost by his Master and son. _-I’m going to make a way to fix this.-_

With Anakin’s decision made, he began doing a kata, starting with the First form, remembering when he first learned to move like this, smooth and calm and serene- calming his early frustrations with the Initiates his age and cold Jedi Masters, feeling Obi-Wan in a steadying synchronization beside him.

And so he was there still, his slight smile and feeling of pride crystal clear now,

They left Shi-Cho behind in their timeless bubble of the Force, assuming the more precise Makashi forms. At the correct time, they shifted to the fierce outward focus of defensive Soresu and Obi-Wan’s comfort spread to both of them.

It should have taken many hours to do every kata, but they had no muscles to burn or bodily functions to suppress. Ataru bubbled, almost joyous in its motion, and then came Djiem So to sweep away the Dark. Still moving so parallel they might be attached, the last sweep of Anakin’s blade and his willpower sliced a hole through _something._


	2. Matters of Identity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here at last, wherever here is, former Force ghosts have a few decisions to make.

_They left Shi-Cho behind in their timeless bubble of the Force, assuming the more precise Makashi forms. At the correct time, they shifted to the fierce outward focus of defensive Soresu and Obi-Wan’s comfort spread to both of them._

_It should have taken many hours to do every kata, but they had no muscles to burn or bodily functions to suppress. Ataru bubbled, almost joyous in its motion, and then came Djiem So to sweep away the Dark. Still moving so parallel they might be attached, the last sweep of Anakin’s blade and his willpower sliced a hole through **something.**_

* * *

Symbolic ground dissolved under Anakin and Obi-Wan, and they landed, tumbling on bare dirt in what looked like a pleasant park or woodland. The air felt fresh and new and decayed all at once.

A bird flew overhead and something landed on Anakin’s head. He wiped it off and sent a death glare at it.

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan, back in the ragged robes he wore on the Death Star. Not as dirty, but the too-short hair and different neat trim of his beard still wasn’t really how he thought of his Master. “What happened? This smells real.”

Brushing his beard, Obi-Wan shifted to sit cross-legged. “I believe your intention was piloting. What was your goal, to make a difference for your chidren, to save the galaxy, or?”

“Yeah, _everything,_ but I didn’t know what would happen. It’s not like I used a spell I found in a Sith library that describes everything...”

Obi-Wan grinned. “So you begged the Force, but did not try to _force_ the Force?”

Looking around, hearing birds start to make noise again, Anakin said, “That kinda sounds stupid.”

Patting his arm, Obi-Wan noted, “But we are here, wherever ‘here’ is.”

Anakin looked down at his arm that felt the contact, surprised to have a flesh one again. “Do I look different?”

Obi-Wan sounded wistful. “I never really saw you like this. I fancy this is what you would have looked like if you had aged as a Jedi.”

“I’m an old man too? I really liked having my curls back as a ghost!” Anakin wondered if Padmé would have liked him like this.

“Not that old, Anakin, very early middle age for a Jedi. Your hair is chin-length and seems to have flattened and much lighter, closer to when we met but more even of color. Your eye scar is almost invisible against a general thickening of your features. The strangest part is that your eyes are so light to look almost white instead of blue or the awful gold.

Anakin frowned. “I don’t think we can use our own names.”

“No, I think ‘Ben’ should be safe for me, what about you?”

Anakin’s mind went blank. He’d been proud of the name his mother gave him. ‘Vader’ never meant that much more that a title of accomplishment and fear.

Instead, Anakin thought about Obi-Wan’s name. “You’re attached to the name that Luke knows you under?” He did not want to think that it was the name he grandson thoroughly rejected as well

“Yes.” Kenobi’s serenity didn’t waver. “That was also the name I used when I was on the run with Satine and Qui-Gon for a year. They were very important to me as well.”

That understanding made Anakin only grunt. “Still, I don’t think you can afford to reuse that alias, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan paused to think or ask the Force and he sighed. “You are correct. But as you say, I have been attached for a very long time to that name.”

“I’m just as attached to my name, it got me through the worst of times with my Mom.” Anakin felt the old pang about her death… but he shored up his resolve. _This was to save his children._

“I shall have to soften my accent, at least for a while. What name would you choose?” Kenobi asked as they walked toward the nearest assistance the Force nudged.

Both quiet for a time, the quiet of old and easy friends. Anakin finally said, “I got only two ideas, Fyor Kessler and Pau-Cas Starseed.”

Kenobi hummed. “The latter seems a little pretentious and hint at something we may want quiet. But ‘Fyor’ just doesn’t feel right to say.”

“It is boring, isn’t it? And we want them to take us seriously? Now, Starkiller is pretentious, Starseed is hopeful, right?”

“You really _did_ have a preference, Pau-Cas.”

Anakin bowed with a grin. “And you?”

“I will confess for a preference for getting one in a mission brief. I like _my name_ _s_ as well.”

That made Anakin hum and he smirked before whispering. “You should know I just wanted a hyphenated name like Qui-Gon and you. My longer name often meant just problems, drawing it out gave you time to think for your lectures...”

“Oh, no! You guessed!” Obi-Wan sounded horrified, despite the sparking eyes.

Thinking for a time, Anakin offered. “Bel Thul?”

“I am thinking of some variant of Groznik Koda or Cote…” Obi-Wan brushed his trim white beard.

Frowning, Anakin said, “Isn’t that Mando for soldier?”

“We _were_ generals. While I would prefer for that waste to not be necessary, I also prefer they respect our knowledge.”

“You just want to laugh your ass off if a Vod has to call you General Soldier.”

“That is an added benefit, and also explains my knowledge of the language if I am some renegade Mandoan, Groznik Cote.”

“Master Soldier it is, Groz.”

Soon they reached the lakeside training complex of the Corellian branch of the Order. Neither of them had spent any significant time on Corellia, though the green robed Jedi were easily able to recognize their Mastery and strength in the Force. Testing their planned cover story of a splinter Temple beyond the Rim didn’t provoke any doubt or suspicion. Working to have details quickly produced and consistent was easier with their bond up. No one questioned that CIS droids destroyed a humble Temple.

Anakin convinced Obi-Wan to select a complete inversion of the Coruscanti Temple’s robes. Dark brown tunic, white under the dark robes. The white cloaks got horribly dusty so quickly, but Anakin still preferred darker robes and admired loudly how Oni-Wan looked in the dark ones.

The humor was probably not clear to strangers.

With both of them appearing as older Jedi, graying and a little pudgier they were reequipped to make their way back to the Main Temple. Top stories on the holonet and echoing in transport common areas spoke of the activity of their younger selves. The war was already ongoing and Anakin started prodding for them to _hurry._

As they traveled, Obi-Wan felt the pressure too. They were approaching a cusp.

At the public side of the commercial starport on Coruscant, the Force shivered, and a Vod marked in taupe was taken out by a blaster shot that nearly hit Obi-Wan. While Obi-Wan patched and tried to heal him Anakin took off to find the sniper.

Hauling the bounty hunter back for the authorities, the unknown Jedi Masters were directed toward the rail to the Temple when they felt an explosion in the Force.

“Kriff,” muttered Anakin. “The show started already. We didn’t warn you in time.”

Obi-Wan looked out the window, sallow with guilt, and he reinforced his own shields.

Anakin felt the trace of his bond to Ahsoka and was filled with a longing nearly as intense as for his wife.

“We will not be able to intercept me, but we can get to you.” Obi-Wan gripped his brother’s shoulder.

Anakin fidgeted badly in the railcar, and Obi-Wan took his arm as they left the car.

The older Master’s eyes began to water, to see the Temple, bright and full of life. Too many years was this an oozing pit of Darkness where there should have been Light.

That made Anakin move his arm around the gray haired man. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how I could believe that poodoo.”

His Master smiled faintly. “I’m not sure I want to know, blocking it will be enough.”

“I will let you do the talking, Master. But don’t forget we don’t have much time to get free enough to act.”

Squaring his shoulders Obi-Wan approached the Temple Guards. Identifying them as from a splinter Temple wishing to take refuge, Anakin was almost surprised they were sent to the more public section of the Halls of Healing first.

Master Che was away, certainly finessing the undercover mission in progress.

Obi-Wan took shameless advantage of the unfamiliar Knight healer to reduce his awareness of any similarities to their younger selves’ biometrics. The Force suggestion was subtle and well honed. “Pau-Cas has a modestly strong count.”

The tests were unaltered, but the summary the medic recorded by hand was something lower for both men.

And yes, Obi-Wan did most of the speaking in Council members they met. They swapped their usual reporting positions and Anakin made the effort to project goodwill and serenity. The news that a forgotten Lineage had been wiped out alarmed Stass Allie and Oppo Rancisis, the only Council members physically present.

They would be housed as guests until the full Council could speak to them. Oppo Rancisis hesitated to propose testing if they had not fought in decades.

Anakin hid his amusement deep as he felt nearly as good as the start of the war. Even as Obi-Wan as Groz hesitantly requested training droids and access to some quiet training room. They did not hide their old partner bond at all.

Restless, Anakin consulted a map to a dining hall, it was harder to remember which one Ahsoka dragged him to after decades of Imperial remodeling. They were already seated at his favorite table as Obi-Wan faked enjoying his kaff when the younger and grief-stricken Anakin sat down nearby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: yes they appear more or less as Sebastian Shaw and Alec Guinness in the original release of ROTJ, not their younger appearances they could assume as ghosts. Here's the clip if you need a refresher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rh_Dqecf5I0
> 
> Reviews make wonderful presents... :)


	3. Cracks in the Wall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Groz and Pau-Cas make new friends in the Temple.

_Restless, Anakin consulted a map to a dining hall, it was harder to remember which one Ahsoka dragged him to after decades of Imperial remodeling. They were already seated at his favorite table as Obi-Wan faked enjoying his kaff when the younger and grief-stricken Anakin sat down nearby._

* * *

“But Master, you have to eat. I don’t think Master Obi-Wan would have wanted...”Ahsoka’s food was as untouched as the younger Anakin’s.

Pau-Cas looked at Groz, feeling an echo of the younger Obi-Wan, but Groz made a tiny nod toward the lower secure wings.

After a long delay, Anakin started to take a bite and dropped his fork with a curse. He looked around the room frantically, pausing briefly on seeing the pale eyed Pau-Cas and white haired Groz. Narrowing his eyes, he looked at the elders in odd colored robes and nearly accused them. “Who the kriff are you?”

Pau-Cas smiled a little sadly for his younger self, this was new. “Master Pau-Cas Starseed, my partner and lineage brother Master Groznik Cote. Our small Temple, the Leilu, was wiped out by droids while were were on a research mission for Groz. We came here for refuge.”

Anakin shifted back and forth between suspicion and something else. He finally settled on suspicion.

Groz’s face was flat, sounding a little Mando. “And you are?”

Ahsoka flushed. “I’m Padawan Tano, and this is my Master, Anakin Skywalker.”

A trace of Anakin’s embarrassment echoed through Pau-Cas as well.

Groz ate something and muttered, “Heard they made you little Commanders for this war. Be careful she doesn’t march away too soon, too.”

The Padawan tried to sit up and look more mature, but Anakin saw that and looked stricken.

Pau-Cas was thinking, seeking context to warn without sounding insane. “I got bloodied too young in a civil war I didn’t really understand, another Knight and Groz pulled me out of a deep hole...”

“She looks barely old enough to be a Journeyman protector. Feeling your entire Temple march away is brutal, even if they are strangers. Members of lineage is much worse, I would prefer to lose a limb.” Groz managed to spit food a little as he spoke.

Anakin stared. As did Pau-Cas for different reasons.

Pau-Cas gripped Groz’s arm. “He took the deaths much harder than I.”

“Yeah,” Groz agreed.

Anakin frowned. “So your Temple was never involved in the fighting?”

Groz and Pau-Cas looked at each other and the Mando deferred to the other. Pau-Cas admitted, “I fought extensively when much younger, but not for a long time. I watched over younglings and hoped they could learn from my mistakes. Not as much as I hoped.”

“Maybe younglings here in the home Temple will hear?” Groz spoke roughly.

“You don’t look that old,” Anakin scoffed. “Dooku looks older.”

Pau-Cas glared back. “I’m older than I look, older than that sculag and I never had some pampered life of some _noble_ _._ Groz has more than a decade on me and he had an observation assignment for two decades in some shithole on the Rim.”

Ahsoka frowned as the older Jedi nodded, puzzled at something she didn’t see.

“I fought too, less than Pau-Cas here. It changes you, makes stupid choices seem like a good idea...” Groz picked his nose as Pau-Cas watched in horrified fascination.

Ahsoka perked up. “Maybe you can teach. We can use extra instructors with a lot of experience in real fighting. Most of the best are never in Temple.”

“Maybe.” Groz tugged an earlobe. “We also could teach the wrong things. The High Council will surely want to vet us first.”

“Let’s go now, I could really use venting with m...” Anakin went from interested and wilted into depressed mid-sentence.

The Padawan’s worry was even clearer as she looked at the older Jedi, beseeching them with her eyes.

Pau-Cas added his nonverbal appeal, wanting to help her this time.

Groz sighed. “Very well, we should adjourn to a training salle. It’s been nearly forty years since I used this in earnest.” He lifted up his familiar saber to examine it.

The training room was empty and usually used for exhibitions and Initiate tournaments. Ahsoka gathered towels and bottles of water as the older Jedi seemed to think about the challenge as they reset their blades for training.

Anakin had brightened and moved to the center of the mats, gesturing for one or both to begin.

Groz deferred to his friend, a stray pang came from him and he moved back to sit with the Padawan.

The older Pau-Cas moved to take the opening pose of Soresu.

Anakin grinned, knowing how to deal with that Form.

Pau-Cas moved a little stiffly, not as solid a defense as Anakin’s Master… and that pang was overwhelmed when Pau-Cas used a new new sequence he did not know.

Anakin used the power to overwhelm Pau-Cas’s defenses eventually and he disarmed the older man.

Panting, Pau-Cas said, “I will yield the victory, youngling.”

Ahsoka was watching both men on the edge of realizing something when Groz asked her about her training with a bit of gentle mind trick to derail that thought.

Anakin realized he was feeling a little better, both from the sparring and also the non-judgmental company of these older Jedi who didn’t seem to know about him being a General and the Chosen One. Even Ahsoka had expectations sometimes.

These Jedi were so casual and not stiff.

They also didn’t know or care how badly he felt after Obi-Wan’s death.

They were so calm in the Force, more than the Council Masters. They also had a Force bond that practically glowed to the eye. He was about to propose a run to Dex’s when his comm went off. “Skywalker, here.”

Windu’s voice was gruff or angry. “You wanted the mission to...”

“On my way,” Anakin interrupted, eager to get whoever killed his Master.

Pau-Cas gripped his shoulder with his right hand, fingernails digging in. “Be careful youngling. Sith corruption affects non-Sith too in strange ways. The Dark corners you and it only lies and betrays you.”

Anakin shook the older man off. “I _know_ that!” His next breath was almost a sob. “Obi-Wan… he… he was killed by some kriffing _sniper!_ _”_

Groz stepped closer, projecting calm as the Knight’s emotions rose. “Even Masters make mistakes, Knight. They do their best, but don’t see all the paths ahead. Forgive them.”

Pau-Cas made a face and swallowed. “You need to talk, you come see us. We lost a lot of people in our Temple and after. My… grandpadawan Fell. He helped destroy our Temple. All because he believed in _other people_ more than _his own Master.”_

Anakin’s face shifted through so many expressions in a moment: annoyance, anger, grief, determination and most of all, loss.

Pau-Cas grabbed him into a fierce hug, having trouble breathing, _**knowing**_ what the Knight was feeling.

If Anakin shook, no one said anything.

Ahsoka’s eyebrows were knit, and she kept staring at the older Jedi.

Anakin tore himself away and ran off, with his Padawan looking after him with worry.

Groz told her, “Your Master will be fine. A bounty hunter is not much of a threat. I doubt a dozen of them would be.”

“I don’t know what is strange about you two. The Force is really murky about it.”

“The Force brought us here and my Master liked to say all things were possible in the Force.” Groz’s smile was soft now.

“You know, Groz. I always wondered when I would feel comfortable with those old platitudes. It _never_ happened.” Pau-Cas’s voice was loaded with sarcasm.

“You know more about _all_ those impossible things, Padawan.” Groz’s grin only lasted a moment and his accent shifted briefly back without realizing.

“Obi-Wan?” Ahsoka stuttered. “I watched you die.”

“Really?” Groz’s Mando accent got harsh again. “Truly, I am just over a hundred. And I saw the death of a Temple that this… Obi-Wan has not endured.”

Ahsoka crossed her arms.

“Or perhaps I am merely demented and I believe I died when I was fifty-eight long before I came to Coruscant today.”

That made Ahsoka glare at him and the other Jedi who felt far too familiar too. She tapped her foot. “Most of what you’re saying is true but it just doesn’t fit together. Pau-Cas feels like my Master in the Force, stormy and the same height. He even has a scar by his eye, but _that_ is not a prosthetic, either.”

A burst of contact flowed from Pau-Cas to Groz.

“See! That too! I almost felt that. You’re planning something and I can always tell when you… they’re going to do something stupid!”

Pau-Cas ran his hand over his face and into his hair for a moment. “All my most stupid choices were over six decades ago. Your young Master is approaching a critical point. The Force let us come here to help.”

“Is it because you’re his father or something?”

“Father...” Groz snickered.

“Look Padawan, it’s _really_ important you stay with him.” Pau-Cas’s voice was painfully earnest and starting to sound stressed. “The war will end soon, but the Sith Master will not lose well, he relishes misery.”

“Master Pau!” Ahsoka growled or whined with her frustration.

“Snips, _listen_ to me _just this_ _onc_ _e_ _...”_ Pau-Cas stopped speaking, his eyes wide.

Groz could not help smirking despite his alarm.

“Kriff it, it’s been too long.” Pau-Cas hugged the Padawan who had been lost to him so long ago.

She held on to him just as hard. Her voice was muffled when she asked. “I don’t understand. Master Obi-Wan died and I heard a rumor about you two being seen on Corellia before that… before the sniper.”

She did not see the glare at Groz from Pau-Cas.

He swallowed and nodded. This explanation was decades overdue and yet new. “I believe Master Kenobi is deep undercover and was strictly ordered to keep it secret, under risk of censure and worse despite war needs.”

“Even Masters make mistakes in wartime,” Pau repeated. “Some mistakes ripple for decades.” He looked at Groz.

“Too attached. Too emotional. Permanent separation and severing of all bonds. Eyeing the barrel of the blaster. Separation from duties regardless of need.” Groz spoke softly.

Pau-Cas grunted.

Ahsoka separated and twisted to look at Pau-Cas’ hand. “What happened?”

“We died, that part was truth. One more crazy plan or hope? Guess the Force approved because I got a new hand.”

The Padawan realized the implications. “So you know who the Sith are?”

Groz spoke in his own Core world accent again. “Knowing is not enough. The Council would need to be convinced before we could start convince judicial. Far more difficult if you must fight against bias. Knowing the face of the Sith Master puts the Order in deeper danger. The Master is a duelist at least equal to a Council group, and Masters should not be wasted.”

“How did the Halls of Healing miss this?” Ahsoka asked in a small voice.

“Tech is not needed as much as you believe,” Groz insisted. “Our tests are accurate, the healer just was encouraged to believe it wasn’t very interesting. Our mission here is not yet finished and we would appreciate if you would not blow our cover. It truly is ‘need to know.’”

With a sigh, Groz returned to his Mando accent. “I truly doubt we will be here long. One shatterpoint must be healed, it is keystone for too many events.”

“I am so glad you aren’t dead, but you should have told us before Skyguy got so...” She looked at the glum older Jedi. “But I guess you already know how bad this could get.” Ahsoka gave both men hugs and ran off.

* * *

Anakin sighed once they were alone. “Wanna spar? For real?”

In an unusual show of indecision, the older Obi-Wan seemed reluctant. “My last two occasions to fight leave me more than just uncomfortable.”

Anakin put arms around his brother. “I know, both were harder than I was willing to see. But you won your goals both times, I’ll settle for a good spar.”

They started almost cautiously but they slid back into their usual choreography of speed and skill. Still equals, they finally stopped, grinning at each other as they panted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, many allusions to canon events, with many disguised truths...
> 
> Looks like three or so more chapters. Please comment.


	4. A Wake in the Key of Grief and Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Herding the grieving Anakin gives its own challenges.

_Anakin sighed once they were alone. “Wanna spar? For real?”_

_In an unusual show of indecision, the older Obi-Wan seemed reluctant. “My last two occasions to fight leave me more than just uncomfortable.”_

_Anakin put arms around his brother. “I know, both were harder than I was willing to see. But you won your goals both times, I’ll settle for a good spar.”_

_They started almost cautiously but they slid back into their usual choreography of speed and skill. Still equals, they finally stopped, grinning at each other as they panted._

* * *

Anakin looked up at the ceiling. “We should intercept me before I get stuck, do _something.”_

“Getting drunk might help soften it, maybe miss the funeral in the morning?” A trace of guilt remained on Obi-Wan’s face.

“Yeah. Stinking drunk. I’ll call Padmé to cancel if she’s expecting me.”

Obi-Wan looked doubtful. “That might not be wise, for you or for her.”

“I know, I know. I would like to kinda say goodbye this time, even if she doesn’t know.”

Brushing his beard, Obi-Wan looked after where the younglings had run off. “Well, that was an interesting idea from Ahsoka. We could set you to be your own father. You are easily old enough to be a father in appearance. This means Luke and Leia would at least be your grandchildren and you can spoil them.” He was clearly deeply amused at this thought.

Anakin considered that and sighed. “I don’t think we will be here that long.”

“Then we have much to do.” Obi-Wan stood and brushed off his hands before offering Anakin a hand up.

* * *

After visiting the quartermaster for rooms, Groz set out to get the alcohol for their temporary quarters and Pau-Cas went to the prison he remembered so vividly.

His younger self dragged the bloodied Obi-Wan as Hardeen into custody. Even now, knowing what he did, it was hard to see his Master in the bounty hunter. This was as Dark as he’d ever seemed.

Pau stood nearby while Hardeen was booked, still alarmed that his friend would be so isolated and without backup. Obi-Wan was frighteningly good at subsuming into a role, but then so was his friend, Vos. When he was dragged away, Pau sent a pulse of affection and good wishes.

The younger Obi-Wan glanced at him, confused.

Anakin turned back once Hardeen was gone. “Pau-Cas. What are you doing here?”

“Heard more about your Master’s death. Come on over to our rooms… Groz is good at finding stuff for a wake.”

The younger man looked confused and hesitant. “I should spend time with...”

“Your Padawan is worried about you. She won’t begrudge your grief at all. How many from her clan already passed? She won’t worry about this.” Pau-Cas knew that time with Padmé would not help at all.

Slowly the reminder of others’ griefs sank in and Anakin nodded.

Groz had piled bottles and pouches in the sink and shoved the seating closer together before the Anakins arrived. Anakin threw himself down with a sob and accepted a bottle.

Groz lounged back and nudged Pau to sit less casually.

A few minutes after any initial actual thirst was satisfied, Groz started to speak in a rough voice. “My Grandmaster just faded away. He was old, and was trying to council my padawan after one of his Trials that nearly went south. I never was sure if there was  any  topic he could not turn into a lesson.”

Anakin laughed at that. “He sounds like the Masters here. Obi-Wan would _stop_ to lecture me while we were swinging through the air.”

“And _that_ look when I’d been out too late...” Pau snickered. “I knew he knew what I’d been out doing, but I never wanted to admit it. Until it was too late and it really had not mattered.”

Groz added. “Then I had so much trouble no’ laughing when yours was out in a sleazy cantina.”

Something percolated and Anakin sat up. “Ahsoka is too _young_ for sleazy cantinas.”

“That’s why we live so close with them. It’s nearly impossible to get a date while being a Padawan, too.” Groz smirked.

Pau rolled his eyes.

After a moment, Anakin sighed. “I don’t think I _ever_ told him, how much I needed and appreciated when he helped my fear of rainstorms when I was first his Padawan.”

“In the Force he will already know.” Groz consoled Anakin. “The Force is timeless. And he probably knew that at the time.”

Anakin took a long pull and sniffled. “Force. I miss him so much, even if I’m not _supposed to._ He kept saying that I’d be the death of him… and I… If I… had just felt the attacker in time. I didn’t want that to be _true!”_

The pang of guilt got caught in a feedback loop between the older Jedi. Their presences weighed down again, all three Jedi were glum.

The door chime rang, and Pau waved the door open.

Ahsoka, came in saying, “Okay, Master...” and then seeing her Master halfway to drunk she stuttered to a halt. “Are you okay, Master?”

That made Anakin blink at her and force a half-hearted smile.

Groz spoke with extra precision. “He needs to grieve tonight.”

Ahsoka frowned and then glared. “Is that _all_ you’re going to do for him? Don’t you...” She doubled down the glare. “I think you know how hard grief is.”

Pau spoke, his voice little changed. “We’re staying to _keep him safe._ We know battle and loss all too well… our younglings suffered from too many mistakes...”

“Grief is not Dark, Padawan. We lose those we care for far too often to deny how important it is. The journey from denial to acceptance is healthy, and your Master needs support from those who’ve walked that path many times, not well-meaning platitudes.” Groz’s eyes were sharp and unimpared.

That made Ahsoka’s face light up in realization. “Long time… Did I?”

Pau shook his head. “No. But we all take different paths. Ours was…” The older version shrugged.

“The Leilu Temple was very volatile. We had many challenges that would take far too long to explain, and not fit a wake.” Groz enunciated.

“He won’t be alone. I’m sure you will have an important mission soon. You Master would not want you to take a mission when you’re falling asleep on your feet.” Pau-Cas said smugly.

“Kriffin’ right,” Anakin said. “Couldn’t say it better myself...”

A ripple of humor spread around the room.

A ping came from Anakin’s comm, and he blearily checked it before cursing. Ahsoka peered at it and looked at Groz.

Pau asked in a neutral voice. “Who’s butting in?”

“The sculag got loose. He can’t be allowed to go free. I cab.. can find him.”

“You aren’t stable on your feets. You go after him now, he’ll beat the kriff out of you, break your nose. You won’t do anything useful.” Pau scowled at Anakin. Then scowled at Groz.

Groz brushed his beard, and Ahsoka wondered why anyone _didn’t_ identify him.

“The chase is almost operatic but information sharing is always an issue in war. Are you sure we should go with him, or should we give chase?” Groz looked disturbed. “Perhaps we should escort him to see his good friend, the Senator?”

Pau’s face twitched. “Would missing one speech be a problem with…?”

“Padme doesn’t have any speeches coming up.” Anakin looked confused.

“Don’t mind me, I have followed certain Senators’ careers.” Groz’s voice was lighter than his face. “We worry that your grief has not passed enough for any missions. We would be happy to come along to assist.”

“Council don’t trust me.” Anakin growled, trying to hide his grief.

Pau sighed. “Do they allow you around their younglings? Do they trust you with V… clones? Aren’t most of _them_ younger than Snips? Trusting is not the same as liking. Some Masters have too much up their… back to _like_ anyone.”

“Administration can suck the joy out of even the Force. The important thing is whether they are trying to help and protect as many as they can during war. Sith cannot help anyone unless it profits them.” Groz looked up at the ceiling when Anakin’s comm chimed.

Anakin lit up with eagerness when seeing a news alert. “That’s a great place for an illegal transport!”

Pau warned, “The guards must have it covered.”

“They were stupa enough to let them escape! He cannot escape and laugh at...” Anakin must have burnt off the alcohol.

“We’ll come too,” Pau insisted. “Bounty hunters are always dangerous, even on the fly.”

“ _You_ keep up!” Anakin shouted as he ran off. He did not notice that they reached his favorite speeder with him.

Neither did he notice Pau fumble a takedown that forced Anakin to leap aside. The escapees got away.

Looking up as the ship rose too high to affect, Anakin cursed.

Groz looked down at Moralo Eval. “I seem to have captured one. My, that might change things.”

“No broken nose,” Pau grinned. “But it’s complete. _Fix it.”_

That made Groz sigh deeply and scan the area as actual guards closed to take the ‘genius’ away. “Anakin, we must go to a secure room right now for a briefing. We do have a mission here in Coruscant but not here in the open.”

Anakin frowned and looked at Groz. He frowned most of the way to the Temple, where Groz signed them into one of the strategy rooms for the Council under his own old authority as Kenobi. “Obi-Wan? But… you’re dead.”

Then and only then did he really look at his older self, wondering at the hand. “Is that cloned?”

“No, the Force made it, made it all. My corpse was burned in a pyre.”

“Apparently, the Force sees the eye scar as a signature aspect,” the older Kenobi smirked.

“You’re both dead? Or only me? Did I...? _What_ was that great balancing thing supposed to be?”

Ahsoka sat next to Anakin and tucked under his arm.

Her Master looked at her, at her calm. “You knew, Snips? Why didn’t you tell me Obi-Wan was here?”

She looked unhappy. “They said they were here to help, to help you. The Force objected the first and every time I thought about telling you. It was _**only**_ yesterday.”

The so much older looking Obi-Wan nodded. “There are too many spies and unknowing people leaking to Sith agents. The mission...”

“Obi-Wan’s undercover!” Anakin blurted out.

“Yeah. And you trying to kill him puts him in more danger than the mission alone.” The old Anakin stated, rubbing his nose.

Anakin saw Groz’s arms were crossed, like almost a living shadow of _his_ Obi-Wan.

Other Force presences approached the room, Windu and Agen Kolar entered.

Windu glared at Groz. “You’ve revealed mission-critical data, Master Whoever you are.” The dire implications were clear in his voice as Kolar fingered as his saber.

“I kept that secret for far too long. Too many secrets never serve the Order as much as the Sith.” Groz stopped muffling his presence.

The Council members started, and again when the older Pau-Cas did as well.

Kolar’s voice rose with excitement. “At least we know we won the war.”

“No, we did not,” Pau crossed his arms, his eyes shifting color to yellow and then blue for an instant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conclusion's not cooperating so it may wait until after the holiday...


	5. All the Cards

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can the Jedi Council and Mace Windu handle two sets of Anakins and Obi-Wans? Can _anyone?_ There will be fireworks.

_Windu glared at Groz. “You’ve revealed mission critical data, Master Whoever you are.” The dire implications were clear in his voice as Kolar fingered as his saber._

“ _I kept that secret for far too long. Too many secrets never serve the Order as much as the Sith.” Groz stopped muffling his presence._

_The Council members started, and again when the older Pau-Cas did as well._

_Kolar’s voice rose with excitement. “At least we know we won the war.”_

“ _No, we did not,” Pau crossed his arms, his eyes shifting color to yellow and then blue for an instant._

* * *

###  **A** **l** **l the cards**

  
  


“The Order was purged, like thousands of years ago. Very few survived even the first days of the Sith empire. The Republic is already kriffed, you just don’t see it, yet.” Pau didn’t try to hide his scorn.

“The last known Jedi Master, Master Yoda, only outlived the Republic by less than a quarter century.” Groz was more sad than glaring.

“The Sith Apprentice cut Obi-Wan in half, only a few years before. They were the _**only**_ Council members to fight their way out of the trap.” Pau looked at the Council members with familiar irritation. “I lost both legs and the other arm in a duel. The Sith Master is much more dangerous than Tyrannus for all that he’s been hidden. The future may be in motion, but the Sith use the Force too, so does obeying the ‘will of the Force’ mean the Order dying was what Force wants? That’s poodoo. Sith don’t build anything but battle stations and make more slaves to abuse.”

While Kolar was more in shock, Windu’s eyes glittered with thought. “You are asking us to believe you somehow came back here after passing into the Force? Came here over a _minor_ trap to prevent a kidnapping.”

Anakin’s face focused as he got angry.

Pau crossed his arms and glared at Windu. “Your carelessness with members of your own Order, health as much as feelings, cost the Order for _decades._ It never recovered from mistakes made during the Clone Wars under your watch, skill and knowledge lost in toto. Even the old troll loses faith in sixty years.”

“Wait,” Master Kolar interrupted. “I thought you said Master Yoda passed in twenty-five years?”

“Your eyes went sith-yellow too, Starseed,” Windu growled. “How should we believe _anything_ you say?”

“Mace,” Groz projected a very familiar steadiness. “I never Fell. Master Qui-Gon taught me a path to join the Force in… a detached and balanced way to still guide those still living. That may be what Master Yoda is learning right now. Ana… Pau-Cas came back from the Darkness, like Vos, before he passed, and we watched over the attempts at rebirth of the shattered Order for decades. Pau came up with another wild plan when even that failed… so here we are, for as long as the Force wills it.”

Windu looked at both Anakins and rubbed his forehead. “What is it about this that warrants such efforts? Shatterpoints are blooming the longer you speak.”

“This mission exposed stress points in the Order that the war accelerated, that will only get worse if history repeats itself.” Groz looked more like an aged Kenobi now they were revealed.

“Then tell us _**who**_ this Master is, so we can judge the truth of your words in the Force… Unless _that_ one seeks to protect his Sith Master?” Windu nodded sharply at Pau-Cas.

“Knowing will actually increase the danger, no one knew how many contingencies he had. The Jedi who defeated him before has not yet been born. Sidious alone is able to defeat a large portion of the Council in combat. He has too many pawns, willing and unknowing, to keep this a secret for long.” Pau-Cas’ voice seemed to deepen as his breathing became labored.

Anakin scoffed at his older self. _“You_ know. So _you_ keep secrets now, too, just like the kriffing _Council.”_

Groz’s face showed a tic.

Pau-Cas seemed to grow taller and the rest of his robes appeared fully black in shadow as he sneered. “Foolish boy. I know _all_ your secrets, Chosen One. You’ve kept far more secrets than _any_ you accuse. Your grandson will worship your mistakes and slaughter the new Order in his desire for power and revenge, _including his blood family.”_

Groz stepped in between the two, the shocked Anakin and the slightly calming Anakin.

“Tell us, Master Kenobi.” Windu was clearly gritting his teeth.

Catching Groz’s eye, Pau-Cas stepped closer to his younger self, preparing to restrain him.

Perhaps stalling a little, Groz visibly sighed. “As much as you will need to gather proof against the Sith lord, there is something like a dead man’s switch control chip placed in _every_ clone. At the right order they will be unable to resist betraying and killing their generals. The clock is already ticking as the Sith lord can make that order at any moment, to kill every Jedi or Force sensitive that has been identified.”

“A slave chip makes them turn traitor? No way. They’re much better than some stupid droid,” Anakin scoffed.

Pau-Cas grabbed Anakin’s arm with both hands. “These chips _erase their names_ from them and Jedi are treated as traitors, to be slaughtered with extreme prejudice. The Sith Lord is Palpatine, and much of his power is from planning and supreme legal power of being Chancellor for far too long.”

Face paling, Anakin’s cry of denial came deep from his gut.

Windu’s face spasmed, while Ahsoka stayed close to the other side of her master from Pau.

Pau-Cas opened up a deep bond to his younger self, their connection almost hard to resist once he did. Now he could feel the poisoned tendrils again, as much of their presences merged. Their eyes blew wide as old passions and folly were refreshed, while Anakin saw glimpses of kneeling to the Emperor and hurting Padmé, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka. Pau-Cas savaged the layers of compulsions on them.

_They would be free._

Groz looked worried. “Anakin?”

“I’m fine, Master,” both Anakins said in unison, though only whites were visible in their eyes.

A tiny whimper came from Ahsoka and Groz traced her montrals to comfort.

After a few minutes the two Skywalkers relaxed and closed their eyes. Not clear was who was hugging the other harder.

When they separated, Windu and Kolar already had their arms crossed, watching the more volatile men through the Force.

Windu finally admitted, “I am not pleased to get this information from an admitted former Sith, but clearly this cannot be handled over any kind of comm lines. Our members are far too exposed to this command. Do you have… know of any concrete evidence or way to block this order? A vote of no confidence and reelection through the Senate would take too long.”

Anakin rubbed his forehead, feeling odd resonances as his Padawan looked worried. He looked again at his older self and the white haired version of his… old Master. That he had been cut in half by a Sith apprentice was all too believable. What neither had mentioned was the fraction of a vision that Pau had been the one to do it… the brother that Anakin would have given _anything_ to see alive again just yesterday. But they worked together still, or again, with a bond he could feel echoes from.

He ignored Windu’s disapproval, feeling how settled their older selves felt in the Force. As Pau-Cas and Groz, they’d seemed old partners, content and maybe even happy to spend time together after their Temple was destroyed. He’d thought they didn’t feel anything strongly yesterday, like Jedi are supposed to, but the remembered Darkness and Light memories swept him along despite how short they were.

Anakin had the most difficulty forgetting the self-satisfied anger when a pregnant Padmé collapsed from _his_ Force-choke and the _old_ Obi-Wan standing calmly to be bisected.

Pau-Cas didn’t meet his eyes, though Groz had the so-familiar soft smile.

Anakin chuffed a hollow laugh. “So Obi-Wan is _very_ not-dead. And my old friend is a Sith. What now?”

Windu said, “The most important thing is to separate his authority as Commander in Chief so this Order holds no teeth. Then there is time for investigation and proof of corruption and collusion with Dooku. I am sure a study of missions and leaks that went through him will collect evidence.”

“Must be through _judicial_ with ample cross-checking against sabotage. He has slandered the Order in subtle ways with both Senate and media,” Groz warned.

Pau-Cas made a fist with his once mechanical hand. “And virtually no one cared when the Jedi were destroyed. ‘Cold baby-stealers’ who wrecked worlds as Generals. By the time they knew better there were no Jedi left to disprove the lies.”

Groz looked up toward the ceiling, eyes unfocused. “We can also take advantage of this speech at the Festival of Lights. Palpatine is rarely off Coruscant. He will have fewer contingencies in place on Naboo and his Apprentice will be nearby as he thinks he’s controlling this kidnapping. This public mess of a bounty hunter team allows the Sith to meet face to face without suspicion as well...”

“Masters, isn’t there something in Republic law about losing command if under duress? Wouldn’t bounty hunters attacking and Dooku being Force-user on the battlefield be enough?” Ahsoka asked in a small voice.

Groz lit up in a grin as did Pau-Cas.

Anakin grabbed her into a hug, “You just passed _all_ your civics units!”

“Yes,” Windu admitted. “Vice-Chancellor would get command immediately and he would have no knowledge of or motive to destroy the Order. After the speech and presumable attack starts, the duress reminder should go out to all clones. That should buy us hours to days to gather evidence after both Sith are in ‘protective custody.”

“That should end the war,” Master Kolar said with satisfaction.

“Much better,” Pau-Cas’ colorless eyes gleamed.

* * *

The days before the opening ceremony were filled with preparation by Council members in on the mission. A HUD message was prepared and the best duelists of the Council were dispatched to reinforce the protective custody if needed. Ahsoka was detailed to keep Senator Padmé away from the confrontation.

Groz meditated to remember details of so many decades ago.

He had to stop himself.

Council members, all in the know scattered among the public. Pau and Groz concealed themselves, remaining unremarkable even as they merged into the crowds.

Pau detailed himself to monitor Sidious.

Groz moved near to where he had originally taken his sniper position. As Kenobi reached for the comm to check in, Groz stepped forward. “Hello there, Master Hardeen.”

The bounty hunter’s eyes widened and he scrambled for another blaster over the sniper one.

Groz moved it out of reach, speaking in an undertone. “No time for that, Ben. Feel the truth in my words. The mission has changed radically, no time for a full briefing, and comms are completely karked. Both Sith are here, I have your saber from Mace.”

Kenobi blinked and took the saber automatically. “You were there when we escaped. Is…?”

“We will explain more later, but the Sith set up this situation as a trap. You know how _we_ like springing traps...”

Kenobi studied Groz. “You...”

“Yes,” Groz gripped the shoulder of his younger self and made a bond, surprised at how easy it was. _-_ _Palpatine is Dooku’s Master, the attack must happen without you to end things. Withdraw. Let Bane or_ _one of the others_ _do the attack.-_

A paler Hardeen nodded as he concealed the saber with a silent sigh of relief. “Raven one to team, power pack karking spitting acid. Falling back...”

“I’ll take that shot, softy!” Cad Bane’s voice sounded gleeful and smug though others objected his taking it for some seconds.

Kenobi moved to another vantage point with a brief glare as the utterly uninteresting Groz closed to the transports.

In a few minutes, Windu himself shoved the Chancellor aside from the sniper shot, the old man stumbling almost to his knees. Windu blocked shots from several directions before the shooting stopped. As soon as guards started frog-marching Palpatine toward the usual escape vehicle, Windu leaped away toward where Bane was stowing his blaster away.

Anakin arrived just after Dooku shoved the guards away from the vehicle where Palpatine was already strapped in.

“Too little. Too late, Skywalker. Step back, or your precious leader gets impaled on my saber. Killing him is almost as good as capturing him.”

“I am sure we can reach some kind of accommodation...” Palpatine felt weak and frightened.

The Jedi knight looked around, hoping for aid. “I won’t let you take a good man, Count. Your transport will never fly away. I won’t let it.”

Dooku laughed. “You don’t have that kind of strength, brat. Your Senate will surrender if I hold him.”

Multiple clones with weapons ready, raced to the edge of the clearing and Rex nodded to his General.

Pau-Cas stepped out from a different direction. “Step away from Palpatine if you value your life, Dooku.”

Sidious felt the Darkness threading through the powerful Jedi, a much fitter one than Dooku’s eagerness to talk first. “Help! He’s too strong for me, my boy.”

“Bystanders out of range Generals,” Cody called, even as Groz appeared.

“I don’t think the Chancellor of the _great_ Republic really needs both arms.” Dooku drew his saber as the sound of the sniper blaster went off to knock away his saber. He swelled with his rage and pulled it back- letting go of his supposed target. “You dare! After I...”

“You are under arrest, Dooku. The Chancellor will be in protective custody, until judicial can verify you did not use a mind trick on him...” Master Groz sounded very satisfied.

“I think not, you arrived very quickly. I feel fine,” Palpatine said in a weak voice.

“Think of it as a few days of vacation from the war, sir. We all could use that.” Anakin grinned.

Palpatine did not look as happy as Vod not usually on Senate duty made a perimeter around him. “But there is so much to do if the war may end. Senate to warn and Order 66 to send out to bring in Dooku’s army...”

He paused, realizing that none of the troops had reacted and his eyes lightened to yellow as he laughed. “Fools, you expect me to go tamely into custody and give up the fruits of my keeping this _Republic_ whole?” He looked at Anakin. “See! They plot to make a coup, take away the elected leader! _They always wanted power.”_

Anakin looked disgusted. “With all due respect, kriff you.”

The shock on Sidious’ face was delicious to all the other Jedi. “Then die with them all.” He raised his hands as his rage exploded into the Force.

Pau-Cas stepped closer, his own rage swelling. “Enough, _Master_ Sidious. You and your elderly apprentice have fed on the Republic long enough. All you brought was violence and destruction, not peace and order.”

Dooku snarled and hurled lightning at Pau-Cas. _“Elderly?_ I’ll show you power, _**Jedi!”**_

Sidious spread his fingers in a fan to send lightning at the three Jedi in front of him. Rage silencing him for a moment.

Groz, followed by Anakin in a fraction of a second, raised their sabers to intercept the blast.

Pau-Cas raised his bare right hand to block it and his smirk was familiar. “Get hit often enough… Understanding, not ignorance.”

With another snort of contempt, Dooku leaped forward to attack Anakin, who fell back. Without the younger man noticing, he and Groz moved in synch, into the very familiar Soresu-Djem So teamwork.

Dooku attacked both, his precise attacks were almost automatic as he stared at the Jedi in growing horror.

Sidious was fighting a grinning Pau-Cas, who taunted, “What? You cannot believe a Jedi could match you, you old raisin?”

“Jedi compassion is a weakness, false Jedi.” Sidious raised the transport enough to shove it into the watching Vod’e surrounding the battle.

Hardeen stepped forward and raised a hand, diverting the throw.

“Kenobi, you have a habit turning up when least desired!” Sidious snarled.

“I was concerned I might be late.” The voice timber was wrong, but the words were pure Obi-Wan.

Anakin felt himself relax that little last bit feeling his presence. “Trade, Obi-Wan?”

“I believe the Sith Apprentice is unable to keep up,” Groz agreed his voice no longer Mando as he closed to clip the shocky Dooku with his hilt. As Groz reached for binders, Anakin jumped over to the other battle to slash at Palpatine.

“You surprised me, my boy. Whatever this failing Order is offering, it cannot protect the people you care for… It never could before.” Persuasion wove through the Sith’s voice.

Pau-Cas snarled, his presence clear and strong, overshadowing his younger self. “You _only_ lie. You only bring destruction to those under ‘your care.’ He is free from your poison. _**Finally free of your chains!**_ _ **”**_ Pau blasted the Sith with purplish lightning until he fell. “What? He’s not dead. The alternative is prosthetics that he would short circuit if he tried to use lightning.

Groz looked up from Dooku. “I often wondered why. Who still has cuffs?”

“I do, General. Surround is a confirm, sir,” Cody reported, looking at ‘Hardeen’ oddly.

“Relative from a lost Temple, Commander. Your General will be back soon enough.” Mace returned with a special containment transport.

Anakin tackled Obi-Wan, embracing the supposed bounty hunter after they rolled to a stop. _“Never_ again, Master.”

“I wanted to protect _your_ friend, Padawan.” Obi-Wan gripped Anakin’s shoulders. “As pointless as that seems now.”

Groz gripped Pau-Cas’ shoulder as well while the Sith were taken into custody. “We’ve accomplished our mission, and I suspect our time here is over.

“It will be better now,” Pau agreed, staring at his own hand waiting to fade away like a holo.

“Anakin!” Padmé's voice carried past the line of soldiers and she flew to the Knight, only stopping once she noticed the other Jedi around them.

Pau’s head shot up as fast as Anakin’s, but he looked away, blinking away tears.

“Senator,” Groz and Hardeen spoke together, a breath before a sad-eyed Pau-Cas

Coughing to draw her attention, Groz spoke warmly. “Master Groznik Cote, of the former Leilu Temple. The Chancellor was held by the Sith Dooku briefly and may have been compromised. His second will have authority until Palpatine can be cleared of Sith magics. Damage was minimal, Senator.”

“They know, or most of them do, Angel. The war may really be over!” Anakin touched Obi-Wan’s bare cheek one last time, glad it was warm before scrambling to his feet to stare at Padmé longingly.

Windu’s arm were crossed and, sounding like it was pulling teeth, he admitted, “Shatterpoints are healing with every breath. Any further discussion will be in front of the Council once Judicial investigators can evaluate evidence. Senatorial assistance may be needed as covert support of the Confederacy is certain, though the Senate will require more concrete evidence, will they not?”

Padmé blinked but recovered quickly. “A Senate committee has focused on Vice-Chancellor Mas Amedda, but evidence was lost too many times for our comfort. I can contact other members of the coalition in the morning.”

“I’m sorry, Padmé. But it cannot wait. Hours may make the difference.” Anakin pleaded without touching her.

Pau-Cas spoke in a flat voice without looking at her face. “Amedda has his own fascination with Sith items, but he is more a leech than mover.”

“The Order will detail protection for Senators, if needed. These arrests will not hold if Darkside compulsions interfere, or hidden allies embedded in the Senate act.” Windu sounded intense, and Padmé's husband nodded.

* * *

Pau-Cas and Groz gazed around the park, seeing remnants of the festival as people away from the scene of the attack resumed a quieter festivity. They exchanged smiles and walked toward a denser section that still had colored lights, breathing deeper and cleaner air.

They had changed it all, and could now rest after so many decades

A bench set on a slope where decorations were broken and trampled had a clear view of fireworks finally rising over the parkland.

When the last fireworks ended and faded into the night, Obi-Wan looked at Anakin. “I don’t suppose you remember exactly what you asked the Force for?”

Abashed, Anakin tried to shrug. “To fix it? To prevent Mom’s name from being forever tied to cruelty and futility. A better future?”

“You know there will be war again. The Code is wrong that war is one of the worst things...”

“I know that and you know that. We saw how the Imperial peace was far worse than the old Clone wars, especially for non-humans.” Anakin frowned, looking back toward the Jedi. “I’d been happier than I realized in war, despite exhaustion.”

Obi-Wan lightly poked his once Padawan. “I am quite proud that you didn’t interfere or interject into Anakin’s marriage.”

“He _deserves_ her. _I don’t._ I helped cause my Padmé's death. At least this one has been saved from my… hatred and jealousy.” Anakin’s breath caught in a silent sob as he turned away.

Obi-Wan put an arm around him to pull Anakin close as Anakin broke out into tears, burying his face in Obi-Wan’s black robes.

Anakin’s voice was muffled. “They’re gone now, forever. Both of them. All they suffered for. All their victories... They cannot be the same without ruining the galaxy around them, but I miss them so much already.”

“It will be different, but they will have their own journeys still. Think of it, they will have a thousand uncles to spoil them, and they will have the freedom to serve as Senator or Jedi, not any path required by necessity. Maybe they might have more siblings like Padmé did or one becomes Ahsoka’s Padawan. All the freedom they never truly knew under Sidious.” Obi-Wan carded Anakin’s hair until he relaxed.

“I wish we could see it...” Anakin said, his voice calmer.

“I think perhaps we will.” Obi-Wan leaned against Anakin too. “I would have expected we would fade away like a Sith holocron as changes propagated. But hours later, we remain.”

Anakin shifted to lean against Obi-Wan and sighed. A few minutes later, he snorted. “Che is just gonna love trying to keep us straight in her records.

“Would not want her to get bored. I may cultivate a reputation for absentmindedness, it worked wonders on Luke in the desert.

“I’m glad you’re here, Master. I don’t think being alone was good for me, and I doubt Windu will ever trust me.

Obi-Wan’s smile was clear in his voice. “That is _his_ problem. He may lead the Council, but he has both Code and custom limitations on his power, even if outsiders never understand. We can make or remake our friendships now, you are no longer a cocky young knight, but a Master. I will always be here for you.”

“Thanks.” Anakin snuggled closer with a fond smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holiday stresses and a block on finding a new way to deal with 66 took a while. Hope you had a good holiday.
> 
> Thanks for all comments and kudos, they really help when my muse is a witch.

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the NaNo 2019 draft-a-palooza  
> \---  
> Star Wars is the property of George Lucas and Disney. No infringement is intended nor profit made from this story.


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